What Lies Below
In the markets, Lau buys a book of divination spells. Before leaving, however, he is told by Boyle, the owner of the magic store, that something recently stole his only tome containing the spell infernal calling. Lau deduces this "something" to be the nothic from Demek's house, since infernal calling had already been cast there. He returns what's left of the tome to the owner. Taigus visits Exal and suggests that he cut off his ear as proof of his “death”, so the Council would stop hunting him. Refusing to mutilate himself, Exal decides to leave the city with his crew by first light tomorrow. However, he expresses desire in killing Fenslin Rook first, so Taigus promises to return the wizard to him alive for a handsome reward. At nightfall, the party ventures into the sewers with Tenaia, searching for the mutant alligator that supposedly lives there. They also intend to investigate the runes that Exal and his crew had found, and hopefully thwart the opening of Rook's infernal gate. Coming to a flooded chamber, the party finds and kills the massive alligator without much trouble. They proceed onward and find one of the glowing runes etched along a corridor wall. Roach, using his blade Valfigor, defaces the rune and deactivates its power. Farther down the corridor, Lau notices the cantish symbol for "safe house" scrawled beside a locked gate. He picks the lock open and leads the rest of the party to the safe house, but all they find are a pile of corpses and upturned tables. Not a moment after, voices and footsteps approach the party from the corridor, forcing them to take cover. A bearded devil named Jevrax enters the room, followed and controlled by Fenslin Rook. In the corridor, an agent of the Fatesworn urges the wizard to continue his mission. The party attacks Rook and his accomplices, catching them off guard, but severely underestimating their enemies' combined power. Midway through the fight, Nadu betrays his friends after submitting to a malevolent force. This force - Xauld, the Archdevil of Greed - speaks to the rest of the party, tempting them to succumb to its influence as well. Thoroughly shattered and low in spirits, the party nevertheless persists and gruelingly seizes victory from the jaws of defeat. The devil, Nadu, and the Fatesworn are killed, while Rook is incapacitated by Taigus and later executed by Exal. Taigus takes Rook's ring, a devil talisman set with black jade. Tenaia disappears into the night. Taigus and Roach visit Nimrya, informing her of Rook and Nadu's treachery and the existence of an imprisoned archdevil below the city. Overwhelmed by her duties yet pleased by the party's work, she thanks them for their services and pays Roach for his completed contract. With a Councilman dead, she informs Taigus that the Council will want to urgently speak with him on the matter. The party ends their bitter day by returning to the Seventh Ruby, where the various pleasures of the establishment put their minds at ease, if only for a bit. Category:Episodes Category:Chapter One